moving? discrimination issues? (Rapid City, White: lawyers, home, school)

[down to earth]

Im a health professional in a mixed race relationship. I am Caucasion and my S.O. is African American. We know there are very few Blacks in Rapid City, so we are prepared for some discrimination....but are folks there more conservative ("races shouldn't mix") or more liberal? How do the Native people react to Blacks? This move involves my job and won't happen till '07 but it could break up our relationship, so I'd rather know what we're up against before we decide to move.....would appreciate any honest, genuine responses.
Thanks

[Jammie]

Hi DTE, we've had a bit of a discussion on here before about racial prejudices in SD. I don't seem to see it whether it concerns Blacks or Native Americans. We've been to Rapid often and don't seem to feel any prejudice there. We live in a college town in eastern So. Dak. and have several Blacks who go to school here. They're some of our best athletes and I don't think they're treated any differently then whites or any other race. Not sure if I have my head buried in the sand or what, but I don't see So. Dak. as being that backward to be prejudiced against anyone. Hopefully someone else will also reply because there are people here who seem to feel that parts of the state are prejudiced. Good luck to you and your husband on your move.

[down to earth]

Thanks Jammie,
There's dicrimination everywhere no matter where you go....sad but true. Anyways, I appreciate your response. The college towns are usually much more accepting of Blacks, as like you said the Black athletes are very important to colleges. I wonder how they would be valued if they weren't athletes. And, I wonder how they would respond if asked if they felt discriminated against....just questions..
Its always easy for others to speak from the outside looking in, but there may be a different viewpoint from the inside looking out. Take care and again, thanks for the feedback!
Deb

[mok9698]

Hello there i would like to think people would not be prejiduce but they are. But turely i have not seen it alot around here. My ture belief it does not matter race, religion or culture but who are you inside and if you make each other happy that is all that matters, i wish you the best of luck and i really do not think we are prejiduce there (even though there are some). Have a great day and we can always use new people in the surrounding areas. Welcome when you come......

[down to earth]

Thanks for such a sweet reply. Itruely hope that all the people in Rapid City are like you! I'm a nurse and my S.O. is in sales, so the racial thing IS really a big worry as if he doesn't sell...we don't eat! HA! Hopefully everything will work out okay. I have faith and trust in the Lord and if we are meant to be there we'll end up there.
Blessings!

[BusySocialWorker]

I think you would be welcomed We moved here six months ago from Denver and love it! hubby is Native American so we are also "mixed" but I guess I dont really think about it ... there are some African Americans here in Rapid and hopefully you will be at home here... I see you are a nurse.. I'm not a nurse, but I do work for the Hospital in Rapid City.. great place to work if that is what you are considering

[down to earth]

Hi busy social worker! Thanks for responding. I'm glad you and hubby are doing good there as a "mixed couple" but I realize that since Native Americans there are so plentiful, people are probably used to seeing mixed Native/White couples. I'm just concerned because the African American population is so small there that we have found that people who haven't been exposed to other races very much are the ones who are most likely to discriminate. I also teach diversity classes in health care facilities, and lack of exposure to decrease fears is what keeps people afraid and then sometimes predjudiced. We'll see what happens career wise. Maybe we will be adding to the "pool" of African Americans there to help reduce any predjudices that may be found there! (-: Thanks for the info. on the hospital. I am a clinical nurse specialist certified in Diabetes so I'd probably be looking for a clinic type situation. I have prescriptive authority, so I can see patients and write prescriptions. Any big clinics there associated with the hospital system?
Thanks and God Bless

[BusySocialWorker]

I acutally work through the hosptial owned dialysis clinic (do inpatient in hosptial and outpatinet at our clinic) then diabetic program is actually right here in my building - also hosptial owned but based in outpatient - lots of patient education etc

[carolinajack]

i had a friend who is east indian and rather dark skinned and is married to a caucasian--he stated he didnt have overt racism there as he hung out mostly with graduate students in his program but the locals werent mean they were just ignorant, asking racist types of questions and stereotypical ones---but not burning crosses or shooting at their home/

you will find as an IR couple(as my spouse and I are) that people may stare--they do even in the most liberal places on the east coast like Boston, Philadelphia, DC and even NYC, and sometimes one person my come up to you in a threatening manner(had a lady out of the blue last week come to my face and just say 'You ugly N-word'--i just didnt say anything and kept on walking. But they are not going to burn you out--so you have to accept the bad with the good-just watch your step, esp your S.O.>>>>they dont like us or native americans but they are tolerating us a little more--esp if we are good athletes and not good doctors, lawyers, pharmacists and social workers(i am an SW as well).

[down to earth]

Hi Carolina Jack!
Happy Holidays! Thanks for your reply. Yes, I'm well aware of the staring that goes along with being an IR couple. I usually just stare back at them and say "Have a nice day". My S.O. is from NYC, so his "watching his back" is innate from growing up in the Bronx. I was a psych nurse for 12 years, so I also have a "sixth sense" about people. It's always baffled me how some East Indians are so predjudiced against African Americans, when they are so dark skinned too!
I'm sorry you had that experience with that lady saying the "N" word to you...as a white person I find myself wanting to beat those people up more than my SO! Maybe that lady ought to join that idiot Kramer on stage...then there would be a pair of idiots, hey 2 for the price of one! Anyways, thanks for your reply...as I say in my diversity trainings, "If we were all blind, we wouldn't know who to hate." God Bless you, have a Merry Christmas and a safe and prosperous New Year.
Sincerely,
Deb